Rockets acquire Suns picks, return Nets picks to Brooklyn

I didn't forget at all. It was arguing over $4M. It wasn't the point I was making. I could have used the Brian Grant Jailblazers. The point was you always think you have time to wait and circumstances almost never go according to plan over years. Injuries happen, trades happen, the earth turns. People can make stupid mistakes. OKC made some good trades and moves to recover but even that close could never get it done. Even up 3-1 on Warriors. Look at what happened to us. One Ryno trade or CP3 hammy and history is different.

Right now is an even better example. OKC has an all NBA star maybe MVP, all the assets in the world and are sitting at the top and expected to win. They could outbid any team for whatever they wanted. That might still not be good enough. We are competitive with them now but I think would lose. If we acquire those assets we can pass them. Chet Holmgren was a stud that hasn't even started on his journey in over 1.5 years. Things happen. Imagine the irony of history, Presti jumped the gun on the original dynasty and then with a second chance did everything right and was patient and he could still end up being wrong. This isn't the Silas Rockets that drafted Jalen, circumstances change.

I said Silas would not be the coach when we were winning. I didn't envision this team with this coach. I didn't envision this many of the pieces working out with amazing room to grow. I'm not interested in giving any of that up. You can strike now and still not break the future path.

 

Good post, mostly agree with you.

We can certainly fortify this team's playoff experience by upgrading something without giving up any top picks or core 7 players. You don't even have to trade Dillon or FVV right now (even though we are indifferent or better with Dillon off the court since Tari has been back).

I think you make the moves that don't hamper your core assets or financial flexibility in renewing your own talent. They should be moves that have minimal impact on development - i.e. in an area where our young core have a gap in skills like SHOOTING - in the next 2 years.

It would basically be a two-way guy with a huge wingspan (7ft+) who can shoot lights out. On a serious playoff team where people were saying as recently as a couple of weeks ago we will struggle to make the top 6 - we have to make people earn their shots and minutes. There is some fortifications we can execute at backup PF/C and shooting that could add 2-3 more wins than we were otherwise going to win against the 6th hardest remaining schedule.

I think it's wise to make a chess move. At most a very late first round pick and expiring contracts for sixth man of the year calibre player who can shoot and not a bad contract. Could be the difference between playing 1 or 2 series in the playoffs.

 

Doesn't have 7 ft wingspan. But maybe....



Esp. if you can get him AND Jalen Smith

 

Butler is just as big a gamble as Beal was. They know the Beal gamble didn’t work, and being a second apron team who can’t combine players in a trade, moving Beal is the only option for a significant move. Butler just appeared in the right place at the right time. There’s no guarantee he will work on that team any better than Beal did.

 

Bored from being in the house with the snow. To this day, I still like the trade, but Overall, I think I would’ve dared Brooklyn to try “re-tool” around bridges.

 

At this point, with how creative front offices are now - basically any player can be traded.

Trading Bradley Beal will be difficult and at great cost, but not impossible.

I am not surprised that the Suns dealt their draft pick for three lesser draft picks.

If anything, I am surprised that the Thunder or another team did not offer more than three weak #1 picks.

The fact that the value for the Suns #1 kind of tells me that the league believes that the Suns will figure out a way to be competitive by the time that unprotected pick comes into play.

Jimmy Butler in Phoenix has the potential to be a major boon for the Suns the next few years.

Butler is an excellent side kick with KD and Booker - assuming that they all stay healthy enough (big if)


Tyus Jones
Devin Booker
Jimmy Butler
Kevin Durant
Nick Richards

Grayson Allen
Royce O'Neal
Mason Plumlee


There isn't a lot of depth on that team, but it is a pretty good group for the next couple of seasons if they stay healthy enough.,, I don't think it is good enough to win a title though.

 

I think not only that, but after they acquire Butler.... Nurkic is headed out for more depth

 

I have a hard time believing they will stay healthy if they are going to play heavy minutes all season. I like our odds for our picks.

 

I mean, the Rockets found out a way to be competitive after 3 tanking seasons and a .500 season. 2031 may as well be 100 years away at this point in terms of predictability. Anything can happen in that time frame. The Suns 2031 is just a lotto ticket.

I don't think Utah is counting on it being a great Suns pick in 2031. It's just that the 3 picks they traded (being least favorable of 3 options) are almost guaranteed to be late firsts. The upside is pretty capped.

 

While I would rather PHX strikes out on him, for obvious reasons, it just means they're screwed even worse later.
And, it could easily happen this year too.
I mean, seriously...
How many games would this " Big 3" actually play together?
I'll take the UNDER....each year. In fact its easy to envision Durant AND Butler down together for a fair number of games.

- Does PHX have enough to even get him?

 

I don't think all three of them play heavy minutes all year - there will be periods where they are all sat down. In the playoffs, yeah heavy minutes is possible.

 

I agree. we can significantly upgrade our nine man rotation for the next year or two and give ourselves at least a shot of making the Western Conference finals. We need talent upgrades, and they have to be people that have won in the playoffs.


Sengun/Adams
Amen/Smith
Brooks/Eason
Green
FVV

Thats a 7 man rotation. I know there are eight humans there but I call it 7 because we can’t count on Eason 100% AND both Adams and Sengun might see some matchups in the playoffs where they are not effective. at this point I guess that would make Smith or Amen the small ball five. And maybe that is where all the Robert Williams chatter comes in.

so in my mind ideally we add one of these superstars that would like to take one more hack at winning a ring over the next two seasons.

Or just diversify. Adding Cam Johnson to that grouping does a lot in my mind.

 

The Suns 2031 situation is different in that they do not have any of their own picks to rebuild with. The Rockets largely found a way to be competitive through their draft picks. The Suns can deal KD and Booker - but KD is losing value quickly.

The fact that the Suns pick is SO far away certainly loses value for some because unpredictability increases.

 

It's a different scenario, to be sure. For now. But they could (for example) trade Book to the Rockets and get their picks back, trade KD for assets, etc. They are bereft of picks but not bereft of the ability to get draft assets to rebuild around. They can also do what Houston did and use the salary space to get some solid vets, or take on bad contracts for more assets. That plan probably still sorta works next year, when the KD/Book/Butler trio flames out this season. They could trade one of those away for the next SGA and recover that way, too.

Like you said, it's the distance between now and then that creates the uncertainty. I think we know that Phoenix craters at some point soon. There's a piper to be paid. But they may be on the other side of that rebuild by the time 2031 rolls around and teams are drafting guys who are currently in middle school.

 

It just shows how worthless the GMs see all of these first round picks are they get back in exchange for their star. (And why any fan shouldn’t be upset about the raw number of FRPs it takes to acquire a star player) The Jazz just exchanged 60% of the return for Donovan Mitchell for one pick that has no guarantee of being any better than any of the three picks they exchanged for it.

 

if the suns manage to move beal for butler that will be a big win.

They are 7 back of us with 40 game to go . Anything can happen if players feel like playing.

Jimmy is rested. Same with booker and KD . I dont like booker that much , but think he will get better as the season goes on.

if the nba is still the nba and names are still names , then the refs will work them into a favorable spot.

i dont know how many more years those guys have in them at their age... but they prolly have 1 or 2 . If they get depth and can be rested going into the postseason , they can still be effective.

This year will be hard work for them to secure a top 6 spot. The rox and other young teams are playing well.

 

It will be pretty hilarious if the Butler sweepstakes is won by someone other than Phoenix. My guess is that teams like OKC and Houston are angling to use their draft capital to thwart the Phoenix rebuild.

 

The suns are cooked. They are deluding themselves while digging an even bigger hole. They also may have no choice. Perhaps the Rockets would take Booker but are not willing to give them everything they want so the Rockets tell them to just go for it.

Teams like Durant Booker and Butler do not win. They have to carry too much of the load with their age and salary and have no money to get players to do the dirty work. They get injured and tired and it always falls apart. There are many examples of stars on teams like this at the same age ranges and they always fail.

 

I hope Beal declines a trade to Milwaukee just to piss packer nation off.

 

Is Butler really that much better than Beal?

I understand that he fits the Suns better, but I don’t see this earth shaking increase an output that leads to them being a title contender.

this does make me slightly more interested in trying to deal for Butler.